Welcome to the Family
by nyteangelofdarkness
Summary: Henry and siblings bring home their loves for the holidays- collection of one-shots.
1. Henry&Grace

_You can do this. Nothing will be different. Remember, at least he will like you_. Grace sighed and fixed her hair once again. Everything just had to be perfect.

"Grace, hun?"

She looked in the mirror and saw her father peaking his head in her bedroom. Since the curse had broken years before she had moved in with her father, spending part time between the Graces' –her curse parents- and her true father. He smiled wide and stepped inside, arms wide. She turned and hugged him tightly.

"What is it, papa?" she asked, pulled away to look up at him. It was then she realised he had changed into his Forest clothing, his large hat on his head once again.

"Just here to wish you luck tonight, not that you need it but with that family you never know…"

She chuckled and pulled away. "Thanks, papa." She looked him up and down and gain, raising a brow. "And where are you going?"

"Well since my daughter is scampering off to her boyfriend's home for Christmas Eve I am going on a quick run for some last minute necessities that the once former Queen and Gold has asked me for."

"What for?"

He shrugged. "The portals. Apparently they have figured out a way to hold and make a permanent portal to the Forest but they are missing some hard to obtain items which they have asked me to procure…"

"Papa…" she trailed off.

Hands were held up in self-defence. "Everything is on the up and up, Grace. It's to help everyone here, reconnect to our old land. We can go back home. And I'm the only one who can travel to the lands were the items are from."

She sighed but gave up. He was right. And she knew that things had changed in the other land since the curse had been lifted. The large players on the 'evil' side had given in and mellowed out and with two of the largest powers keeping an eye on the others, things had turned legit for the most part. Her father's powers too had become necessary in getting people home. And, she smiled at herself, she liked that he had taken her under his wing and had begun teaching her the business of being a Jumper.

"Fine." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "You have a good time and be good. I'll see you tonight?"

"Tomorrow morning more likely. And you my dear, don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Of course not, papa."

* * *

><p>Henry sighed and tried to tame the stray piece of hair that had chosen to defy every hair product they had in the house. Tonight just had to go perfectly…<em>She's going to run very far, and very fast.<em>

Tonight Grace was going to join his family- the _whole_ family- for Christmas dinner. They had been putting this off for a while now but after a year and a bit in the relationship, Grace had finally pushed him. Might as well get it over with, she had said. And to be fair, she had met all of them already. A few dinners here and there at the Mills' and Cassidy's, more than a few movie nights at the Jones' as well as babysitting his new baby brother-Zarek- together when his parents were working. In each occurrence everything had gone as well as could be expected…nothing super out of the ordinary (well as ordinary as they came) but tonight…it would be a big step. These gatherings were always chaotic and embossing when it was just family but bringing in his girlfriend? God he just hope she didn't run.

"Oi lad, come down and help your mothers get ready," Killian peered inside at the sixteen year old who still stood staring at himself in the mirror. He stepped into the room. "Everything alright?"

Henry turned and looked at his step-father and frowned. "Yes? No? I honestly have no idea."

Killian closed the door and strode over to the young man. A hand and a careful hook was placed on his shoulders and gave him a light shake. "You will be fine, Henry. Everything will go well. All of us promise to be on our best behaviour."

Henry looked at his step-father and nodded slowly. "I know but still…It's terrifying having her here."

"Why? Because you think something will happen to make her run or what it means that she is becoming part of the family?"

His eyes widened. Yep, Killian had hit it on the head, as he usually had whenever it came to most things. He had helped Henry get Grace in the first place and had been crucial on keeping her and while he hadn't needed the pirate's help in quite some time (at least in this department), Henry once again found himself turning to the older man for help. Yes, if Grace came then it just meant that they were one step closer to something…more…real? After coming from a family where True Love reigned supreme he felt pressure to achieve the same for himself.

"Lad," he shifted to wrap and arm around the teen's shoulder and tucking Henry into his side. "It's a large step, I know. But we can all see that the two of you are ready for it. You both work so well together –."

"But what if it's not True Love?"

Killian scoffed. "Please, you're both sixteen. The two of you have years to figure things out. It took me over three hundred years to come across your mother and if things hadn't had happened the way it had then we would never have met. Don't think that because it's not True Lover it's not real. True Love is rare believe it or not. You just happen to know nearly every individual that has been blessed enough to have it but thousands…millions of others find their love and for them it's true and that's all that matters. As long as the two of you care and protect one another that's all that your mothers and grandparents and I and anyone else could ask for, Henry."

Henry sighed but nodded his head. "Thanks…Dad."

Killian shook him gently and smiled. "Now, go and help your mothers get ready. I have been tasked with diaper duty…unless you'd like to trade jobs?"

"Not a chance," Henry pulled away from the pirate, laughed and bolted out the room.

* * *

><p>"Grace, dear, welcome!"<p>

Grace smiled politely and greeted the former Queen- Regina, as she had told Grace to call her- before walking into the Jones' house. The home was beautifully decorated in blues and silvers. Henry had complained to her numerous times on their nightly phone calls over the winter holidays about decorating with his grandmother and father…apparently the two were very intense and competitive decorators.

"Merry Christmas," Grace greeted.

Regina smiled and pulled her into a hug then took her coat. "Well come in and join the rest of the clan."

Screaming laughter came and young Roland came running in from the depths of the house and slammed into her.

"Grace, Grace, Grace! You're here!"

She smiled and leaned down to pick up the child. "Hello, Rolly. You been a good boy?"

"Yes!" he laughed and squirmed out of her grip.

"No," his step-mother countered, her arms crossed and a stern look crossed her face "Little munchkin got into my pie this morning."

"Oh but dear, can you really blame the boy?" Robin chuckled as he walked into the foyer and picked up his son who ran to him. The former outlaw kissed his now wife and greeted the young girl.

"Fine, fine," Regina waved him away. "Be gone," she ordered with a slight smile on her face. "Snow and I have more preparations to attend to."

Robin laughed and bowed before taking his son and walking out towards the backyard. Grace turned and followed Regina who made her way into the depths of the home. Inside was so warm and cosy. The fire place in the living room was roaring already and Grace noticed the heaping piles of presents under the large tree which Grace remembered going to the forest to find with Henry, Killian and Robin. Voices were heard from every room, each one sounding happy.

"Grace."

Henry stood in the living room entrance, a bag full of presents slung over his shoulder. "Sorry I couldn't greet you," he said as he put them into the ever growing pile. "I had to help bring in a few things for Mom."

"It's ok, I just got here." She walked over to him and smiled when he pulled her in closely. Lightly he placed a kiss to her forehead and smiled at her, his brown eyes warm and comforting.

"Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Eve, my Prince."

Henry groaned at the title and ran a hand through his hair. "You don't have to…I'm not really…"

She pecked at his cheek and smiled. "I know, I just love that stupid look you get on your face."

"Oh is that so?" he laughed and tackled her, picking her up effortlessly and dumping her onto the couch and tackling her.

"Hey, not on my furniture you two!" Emma called out from the kitchen, noticing the pair.

"Oh but Emma love, we've tested it out enough to know it can take more than that!" Killian hollered from the stairs, arriving with baby Zarek in his arms.

They both quickly jumped off the couch. Grace blushed, Henry groaned and Emma grabbed the knife from her mother's hand and began to chase down her husband. Killian tossed his son to Belle who had just arrived, standing in the foyer with Gold and looking quite confused, before taking off at a run around the house, avoiding the newly pregnant saviour.

"Oh you little!" she yelled out. "I am going to skin you when I get my hands on you!"

Regina shook her head and covered her eyes. David and Snow just turned to each other and laughed.

"We did not need to hear that," Regina muttered. "Now I know where I won't be sitting."

"Oh please, Regina. Not like we haven't done the same." Robin quipped in. He leaned over the counter to swipe a finger into the desert she was finishing and narrowly missed having his appendage stabbed.

"You, never speak of that again," she pointed her own knife at her husband.

Henry shook his head. And this was why he had avoided this…alone they were all fine (relatively) but together it was insanity.

"What the hell did I just walk into?"

Henry looked over the couch from his spot on the floor at Neal and Tink who had just arrived shortly after Gold and Belle. The pair were still shaking off the snow when he ran over to greet them. Grace rose and smoothed out her shirt. It never really occurred to her how much Henry looked like his father's side until she saw the three of them standing together. She could see the similarities over the generations, the hair, their eyes, even their stature had become more and more similar as Henry grew. It made her smile as he quickly embraced his father and shook his grandfather's hand.

"Merry Holidays, dear!" Tink skipped towards her and pulled Grace into a crushing hug, separated only by the large pregnant bulge which was due in less than a month.

"It's Merry Christmas _or_ Happy Holidays, not both," Neal sighed and shook his head, apparently tired of explaining it to his fiancé. "And Merry Christmas, Grace. Nice to see you've joined the nut house."

"Thanks and it's not that bad."

"So far," Henry scoffed and placed the bags his father had brought in under the tree. "Only two knives have been brandished, a record I think."

"Yeah well it's a bit easier now that we can't have firing practice while waiting for the food to cook." Neal offered.

"Speaking of food," Belle cut in to the small group and passed Zarek off to Neal. "Where should I put mine?"

"Here, let me," Henry jumped up and grabbed the package from the hall and escorted the Lady Belle into the kitchen where the other women seemed to have gathered. Grace followed the pair -leaving the now growing group of men as Killian, Robin and David arrived with children in hand- into the kitchen.

Just like the rest of the house this room was straight out of a magazine and smelled like perfection. No holiday Grace could remember felt this warm and perfect and she smiled as she was welcomed into the close knit group. The recently crowned Queen Snow and the resigned Queen Regina stood side by side at the oven, checking this and that. Emma poured herself another glass of not wine (as she complained throughout the night and continued to blame her husband who retaliated with a swig from his own glass and a well timed smirk) and came to stand beside her at the bar top. She nudged at Grace and smiled.

"Merry Christmas, kid."

Grace smiled. With that simple word she knew that she had been accepted.

* * *

><p>The rest of the affair went fairly smoothly. Dinner was absolutely beautiful and the large crowd gathered around the extended dining table. Henry had laughed and told her he had to fight for the two of them to be at the 'adult' table and not sitting with Roland and James (as baby Zarek and Eva still sat near their mothers). The food was beautiful and the conversation lively. Discussions ranged from returning to the forest and royal politics to the boys planning a wide scale snow ball fightduel in the morning. Eventually things petered out and they all shifted to the family room, the children screaming in delight at opening presents from their family member.

Grace smiled as Henry took his place on the floor, helping and attempting too wrangle in his two younger brothers and toddler uncle. Zarek had everyone laughing, even Mr. Gold, at his precision on opening his first presents ever, slapping away helping hands from his parents and brother and wanting to open them slowly.

As the children's gifts were given out the adults started to share a few of their own. Smiles and hugs between family and a few kisses between couples were shared. She was even given some beautiful clothing from Regina and Snow, a perfect little necklace from Belle and Gold and an empty leather bound journal book from Emma who had smiled and told her it was time to tell her own story.

Grace smiled and leaned back against the couch arm from her place on the floor, just taking in the warmth this once tattered and broken family now gave off. The wounds and hatred they had between each other were healing still but she saw he hope in their faces, the ties that were forming once again. Snow and Regina both gave each other fairly honest hugs after exchanging gifts, Emma and Neal shared a laugh over each other's gag gifts and even Hook –Killian- gave Gold a respectable nod when his wife opened up a present meant for the pair, a beautiful crystal mobile for the new babe.

She was lost in the moment and startled when Henry sidled up next to her and wrapped his arm around her. He pulled her in closer to his side and she in turn wrapped her own arm around his waist, tucking in closely.

"So nothing too traumatising?" he whispered resting his forehead on hers.

She smiled and shook her head. "Of course not. I had a great time. They aren't half as bad as you make them sound."

He pulled away and laughed. "Not trust me they're worse but there were nice enough to tone it down."

She shrugged and pulled him close again, watching his family continue to interact. Things dying down as the night went on. The fire slowly dying, the children crashing where they may as the sugar wore off. "Well they might as well drop it because you know…" she paused and looked into Henry's eyes. "I do plan on sticking around for a while. And it would be a shame if they had to put on an act for that many years."

He didn't answer at first. Emotions played on his face and then he stood up, pulling her with him. The others didn't question when he pulled her out to the back screened in porch. Silence between them grew at they both listened to the sounds of the small wooded area behind the house. The winter's wind was light and gently blew about the light snow that had been going for days.

"Grace," he finally spoke.

She turned to him and was unsettled by the look in his eyes. In those hazel eyes flashed fear for a moment before quickly being overcome by something much stronger.

"Grace," he repeated and took her hands in his. "I honestly don't know where to start or what to say. You'd think, you know coming from all that," he waved to the house, "that'd I'd have a better idea about stuff like this but I don't. All I know is that I care about you…really, really care about you and I know after seeing you here that I want you to be here, with me, well…for as long as you want to. I know we're young but that's never stopped anyone before."

Grace's heart stopped as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring. It was quite plain and simple, a small amethysts stone sat in the center.

"I want to give this to you, as a promise, I guess that I'll be here for you for as long as you would wish. That no matter what you'll always have a friend and someone to turn to." He paused and waited for her. Grace felt her eyes tear up but raised her hand. The warm metal slipped easily onto her right hand and his eyes, his smile made her day.

"Henry," she whispered and pulled him close. She smashed her lips none too gently onto his and he returned it just as fierce. She tried to convey what she always had trouble saying, tried to convey her gratefulness and hope, her friendship with him and…well yes her love for the gangly teen. She loved him.

"Love you, Grace," he whispered out as their kiss petered out. "As long as you'll have me."

She smiled and ran her hand through his hair, over his face and he the same. "I'll have you forever, little Prince."

"As you wish, my lady."

The pulled apart but stayed out together wrapped up in each other's arms and presence. The snow came down softly still but Grace was still warm, curled up next to Henry. She knew that here, with him she would be spending most of her life. She knew that next year they would find themselves in the same spot and hopefully for many years to come. The family would grow and change but she knew she would always have a place with them, with him for as long as she wished and right now that was forever. Forever seemed like just long enough.

* * *

><p>Hello! Well hopefully you enjoy a slightly belated holiday fiction. Each chapter will follow Henry and the Jones siblings (from my 'verse shared throughout Letters, Distinguished and Wedding Day) brining home their significant others. I have the other three nearly written out but I also have three essays to write so will most likely not post for another week or so. So please feel free to read and review (please do, nothing gives a writer more of a boost than a quick 'good job') and thank you again to all those who have read and reviewed my other OUAT fictions and who have followed me. You guys really are helping me get through a rather tough and jarring time this year. So again thank you so much everyone, this would not be possible without you!<p> 


	2. Zarek&Sarahpt1

"Man I really don't envy you there, Z."

Zarek Jones sighed and ran a hand through his thick nearly black hair. His apartment was empty finally, his fiancé having just left to get some food before the storm hit their New York abode.

"Any suggestions? Brother to brother? Anything?"

Henry laughed on the other end of the line. Zarek heard the high pitch laughter of his niece, little Paige, in the background and someone else yelling.

"One sec, Z. Alice check on your sister! Mary-Alice Mills go and check on Paige! God, Z you sure you want to get yourself into this stuff? I let you take the girls for the weekend and I think you'll regret your decision."

Zarek laughed at his older brother. "Still not the same. Besides I've babysat those two enough times already. Ship them over to Liam."

Henry snorted. "Liam? Please, I wouldn't leave my goldfish with him."

"Understatement. But really Henry. I'm bringing her home this weekend and I have no idea how to break it to her. I mean how the hell do I explain our family? It's bad enough I can claim Captain Hook is my father and my mother is the daughter of Snow White and good old Prince Charming but throw in your half of the mix with the six parents and the same age thing and magic. God magic…How the hell am I going to break it to her?"

Henry sighed on the other side. He wanted to help his brother, he really did. All along Henry had tried to guide and protect his younger siblings and being nearly fifteen years older than them all didn't help either. He almost felt like the in-between parent that they all ran to for help.

"I really can't offer you any advice, Z. Honestly. I thought it was bad enough trying to bring Grace in with just how nuts our family is on a regular basis but throw in not knowing anything about our world…"

"I know, I know." He paused and glanced over at a photograph of himself and his fiancé, Sarah, at a local pub. God how he tried to not fall for her but he failed in the end. She had wormed her way into his heart in the end. As much as he didn't want to get attached to someone on the outside it was a part of what attracted him to her. She didn't understand magic, she didn't realise the costs and balances that made the world go round. She didn't know how to fight with a sword or shoot a gun. She didn't understand politics and didn't have to worry about 'the people'. Sarah Grey was a perfectly ordinary woman. She had plain brown hair and eyes, medium height and came from a simple family of civil servants, a simple nuclear family of her parents, herself and a brother. God just how plain and simple and easy it was being with her. Just the two of them. School took up most of their days, himself in his last year of pre-med at NYU and she in a Literature major, then coming home to cheap and simple meals, curling up on the couch to watch pirated movies and tv shows because they were too poor to afford cable for their basement apartment.

Simple, plain, ordinary…and totally fake.

He wasn't the typical twenty-three year old pre-med student from a family of six that he always went by. He was related to some of their world's most well-known heroes and villains. He had learnt to sail, navigate and survive from Captain Hook, learnt archery from Robin Hood and sword play from Prince Charming. He had learnt to control his innate magic by the 'Evil Queen' and Rumplestiltskin and politics/ public speaking from Snow White (as well as helping control his nervous stutter) and many tips and tricks along with a healthy respect for books from the Lady Belle. Hell even after choosing to peruse medicine for the sake of helping others, he had accepted guidance and the knowledge passed down from Dr. Frankenstein himself. He had been groomed from early on to be a leader, both he and his uncle James.

Early on it had been worked out that once the portal to the Forest would be able to be held open between the two worlds, the adults would plan out the reorganization of the kingdoms. Most royalty had gone back to their own kingdoms, swearing a treaty of peace between all those that had been effected by the curse, most of them having ties that now crossed kingdoms and a bond that had been formed from years together. One problem though was left on the hands of David and Snow. Two kingdoms to rule between them, too far apart to be ruled under one monarch. Both knew that Regina would have to step down after all that had happened, most people even disputed her maintaining her own family's titles and wealth but she remained a Lady under the kingdom of the new Queen Snow and thus protected. But what to do with the Kingdom once held by King George?

The solution before the curse would have been quite easy. As most monarchs, they would have left the one kingdom to one of their children to co-rule as a family. Zarek's mother turned that down in a heartbeat. Henry too, turned down the title. Having lived most of his life in the other realm, he did not feel comfortable taking such a leadership role and by that time he had already become entrenched in what would later become his own career and family. Now it would be left to the next generation. James and Eva had been brought up as young children to know that they would one day step into a leadership role. Zarek and his siblings too had been gently guided into leadership from a young age. Both Emma and Killian had agreed to allow their children the choice of becoming the ruler should the opportunity arrive. All three had been prepared should it ever arise and for Zarek-as eldest-, it had.

The kingdom once belonging to King George needed a leader. David and Snow had tried for years to leave others in charge with little success, the kingdom –just as all the others- still recovering from the curse and needed a firm guiding hand. Instead, the pair jumped back and forth and separated at times in attempt to rule but it put a strain on the two. James had been named heir to Snow's kingdom where his parents ruled but the other remained open. Eventually, while Zarek was still in his early teens, his grandfather had sat him down and explained. Explained that he was a Prince by birth- he had known his already- and that sometimes it meant stepping up and taking that responsibility. He had been told the risks and challenges he would face as a young leader but Zarek had agreed. After his schooling was finished, in less than one year, he was to return and accept the position of King.

Before leaving Storybrooke, Zarek had been proud that everyone thought that he would become a great king, always being told of his level head and knack for understanding the people. He knew his role and place in life and was looking forward to the day that he could serve the kingdom, one day ruling side by side with his best friend and uncle, James. He had gone into medicine thinking he would then be able to serve on the lines during the tail end battles with the ogres, his magic giving him quite an edge to save those who otherwise would have been lost (bring back from the dead, no but saving those very close to it he had been able to do).

But now…after these wonderfully simple three years with Sarah in New York things had changed. Zarek still knew he wanted to be King but he faltered. Now he had more to think about than himself, he had to think about his fiancé.

"Have you tried to tell her anything?"

His brother's voice on the other end jolted Zarek from thought. He rubbed at his face. "No. Well, kind of. I got her to read the books you and Grace wrote. We talked about them and even that didn't go over well…"

"Wait? She didn't like our books?"

Zarek's lip tugged up at the corner. If there was one thing Henry defended more than his family, it was his books. "Yeah, she liked Grace's well enough, said that she had read them to her nephew but your novels…said they were a little unbelievable."

A rather undignified snort came through the phone. "Unbelievable my ass. It happened!"

And it had. Henry had done his best to write the tales since their mother arrived in Storybrooke, changing names and the like but maintaining the basic tales. Telling his own story on Neverland and the battles thereafter. For the masses, it was a huge hit. Grace had taken a similar approach but rather chose to write for the children. She took the classic tales and wrote in the development which made villains less villainess and seeing the flaws and mistakes made by the heroes. Making them all human again.

"Yeah well the two of you can have that discussion when we get home."

"Home? Z, it's is in the Forest this year. I thought Mom told you?"

God, nothing could go right, could it? "Well at least it'll make her have to believe it after jumping through a magic portal and all."

"Always looking on the bright side aren't you…"

"It's my gift."

The doorknob giggled loudly and a muffled sound came through the door. Sarah was back.

"Hey Henry, I'm going to have to let you go but I'll see you this weekend."

He hung up as Sarah walked through the door. Together they moved in the synchronized pattern that living together had caused them to develop. Putting away groceries morphed into preparing dinner, eating dinner then settling in together before the tv.

Zarek sighed and ran his hand through her hair as she laid against his chest with their legs stretched out on the couch. This is what he had become used to. This was what he had always wanted. Someone who he could have these simple moments with, someone with who the silence was comforting as just their presence was enough. It was what he had grown up around. His own parents were a True Love pair, his grandparents, his aunt and uncle…all of them had their one who felt this good. They had all seen it, he and all his siblings and aunts/uncles/cousins…seen the small simple smiles and the comforting touches that made their parents just happy inside and out. He had always wanted that for himself and he had found it in Sarah.

"What are you thinking?" she asked. Brown eyes turned from the tv to him, scanning his face and reached up to smooth out the lines in his brow then lightly ran her thumb over his trimmed beard.

"Just thinking about introducing you to my family."

She smiled at him and rested her chin on his chest. "It'll be fine. I met your mother for coffee the last time she came by and it went well."

"Yeah well…she's the most normal of the lot."

Sarah pushed herself up and placed a light kiss. "They raised a smart, beautiful and downright perfect man like you. How weird could they possibly be?"

* * *

><p>The week had gone well enough. Eventually the inevitable had come and the pair packed up their car and Zarek headed home. The drive had been pleasant enough but all too soon he found himself near the edge of the boundary. The energy from it surged through him, sending all nerves on end. Even after all these years it still remained, still protected the town at the same time as holding back most of its residence. Of course, as it always had been, those who were not placed directly under the curse were able to move freely over it. Before, that had left a very few handful of people with whom he generally was related it but now after so many years and a good number of people choosing to remain the small town a new group of people had been born into the town and- just as Henry had shown years before-they were able to leave. Not all had the same reaction he did when crossing the boundary, no, it was because of the old magic surging through him, stronger than even his mother's from the compounding purity of True Love, a second generation of it. His magic, like that of his brother and sister was far stronger than any could have imaged and had to be worked with carefully from a young age with both Aunt Regina and Mr. Gold (as everyone was too terrified to call him Uncle Rumple, Aunt Belle kept insisting though…) to learn to control it.<p>

God just another thing to tell her…

"Why did you stop?"

Zarek shook out of his thoughts and looked over at Sarah who stared at him, eyebrow raised in confusion. He had indeed, stopped on the road, bumper just nudging up against the barrier. The grip on the steering wheel had turned his knuckled white. Without replying he continued driving into Storybrooke, an intense wave rushed over him as he now was in a land of magic. His powers returned in a heartbeat, instant head rush. As he breathed out he felt the energy within him once again. God how he missed it.

"Nearly there," he commented nervously.

"Are you sure? There doesn't seem to be anything out here. I mean how remote is this place? It's not even on a map."

He chuckled...oh and it better stay that way. "I'm sure."

Soon the small cozy town peaked out behind the forest and Sarah took his hand in hers. Driving down the streets, mindlessly turning the corners until eventually Zarek found himself parking in his parent's driveway, in his childhood home.

"Is anyone here?" Sarah asked. She grabbed her one bag from the back seat and peered into the window. "I mean, cars are here but there doesn't seem to be anyone in."

Zarek sighed. Oh he knew what that meant. It meant that Henry was right and apparently he had picked the worst year to bring someone new in.

"Yeah, my brother called this week and said that they were going to be in the Forest for this Thanksgiving."

"The forest?"

He shrugged and headed inside. Indeed the house was empty but left as tidy as it always was. The quaint three bedroom home of his childhood was beautifully decorated as well. His grandmother and father must have spent hours on it.

"So where am I putting my bags?" Sarah shouldered her purse and closed the door behind her and stared at awe in the foyer.

"Just leave them in the car. We're not staying here. I just had to stop by and drab a few things I'll be needing." He ducked upstairs, taking them two at a time and quickly opened his old room. _Sword, dagger, Forest clothing…_he changed as quickly as he could, might as well do it now because as soon as they arrived he'd be dragged somewhere.

"So are we camping out in the middle of the fall then?"

Zarek looked up from adjusting his belt and scabbard. The clothing still fit as well as before, the high quality leather and fabric made for a Prince.

"What the hell is that?" she looked him up and down.

"I'll explain later?" he tried, sheathing his sword and dagger.

"Why do you look like someone from a convention?"

He laughed and pulled her in close. "I'll explain later."

She puffed out and blew at her bangs. "What's with this later stuff?"

He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Just…just trust me ok?"

"Fine."

* * *

><p>"This is impossible."<p>

Zarek sighed and wrapped his arms around Sarah. It had taken an hour to talk her into following him into Regina's crypt and another two to try and calm her down after he opened the private portal of his family

"Not impossible, just….unusual?"

She shot him an exasperated look. "It's impossible"

He shook his head and unwrapped the bindings he had placed on the open wound. This portal required a specific code…fresh blood from a small select number of people, namely his family. As Regina had explained, having the ability to open a portal at will between the two worlds required a price and this seemed to be the easiest compromise. The other portal, the larger one which the citizens could use, only opened once a month during the hour of the highest moon…the strongest time for it.

"You should keep that covered," Sarah reached again for the binding he had taken off, the wound opened by his dagger.

"No I want you to see this." Zarek held out his palm, still bleeding quite freely and waved his other hand over it. The wound sealed, the skin knitted together perfectly and no trace of the deep cut remained. He heard her gasp and he grabbed for her hand with his now healed one.

"It's not impossible. Just different. This is the world I came from, Sarah. And you have become my world now. I don't want to lose either of you."

Sarah traced his unmarked hand then looked up. Her brown eyes wide, deer caught in a headlight but soon she nodded.

"Okay. Okay, Show me your world."

* * *

><p>Hello! I am NOT dead! Whoo hoo! But I am just finished up my FINAL final of my undergrad! Yippie! So here is pt1 of Zarek's chapter and I am also posting a chapter for 'Kiss it Better' in a few short minutes. So again thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this and any of my other OUAT shots and I beg you to continue. Also!If anyone has any better ideas for a title of these collections please shoot me a PM or in the comments. So again thank you so much to everyone and wish me luck on my final final!<p> 


	3. Zarek&Sarah pt2

She was falling…falling…falling….

As suddenly as it left, the ground reappeared under her feet. Sarah felt the air rush into her lungs then just as quickly back out again as she felt arms wrap around her tightly and a subsequent squeal in her ear.

"Z! Z! Z...you're not Zarek?"

The arms around her loosened and Sarah was now able to face her attacker. A petite black haired woman with large bright green eyes stared back at her.

Zarek's deep laugh came from behind her and he stepped through the portal. The woman squealed again and pushed past Sarah to grab onto Zarek. Her fiancé in turn grabbed the woman by her waist and swung her around before taking her into a bear hug.

"Eva!"

"Z!"

The pair took a few laughing moments between each other before Sarah let out a not so subtle cough.

"Oh, god! Eva, this is my one and only, Sarah Grey. Sarah this is my aunt Eva."

"Aunt?"

Sarah looked the woman up and down. There was no way she was any older than them, young, maybe in her early twenties with long black hair pulled into an intricate braided updo. She was clothed in a period dress (although Zarek had mentioned this was _normal_ for them) of a very pretty purple and white combination.

The pair looked at each other and laughed again. "Yeah." Zarek stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Sarah's shoulder. "Remember what I had said, you know…about everything?"

She sighed. It had been a bit of an unrealistic blur but… "Yes?"

"Well it left our parents, my grandparents -her parents- and my mother about the same age so that left us with an even more screwed up family tree."

Eva –his aunt- laughed again. "Oh right. Did you even get to Henry's side of things?"

"We touched on some of it."

Eva smiled and pulled on Sarah's arm. "Well good. Because we have a whole heap of people for you to meet and the day nearly over! So say goodbye to your baby boy and come with Auntie Eva, my dear!"

"Zarek?" Sarah looked over her shoulder as the surprisingly strong woman pulled her through the door of the barren portal room.

He smiled wide, wider then she had ever seen before and waved. "She'll take good care of you. I'll see you in a bit, have some stuff to take care of."

Oh this was going to be interesting…

:::

It was impossible but oh so beautiful. Sarah stepped out onto the balcony of her private room in the insanely large castle- a bloody _castle!_ Disney's Cinderella's castle had nothing on this! - and looked out on the beautiful landscape. The day was sunny and warm for an autumn day. The trees were beautiful, vibrant reds and oranges seemed unreal. She pulled the wrap closer around her and leaned against the stone rail. The lofty mountains, the sky blue waters, the pristine kept gardens, everything was out of a fairy tale book from her childhood. But that was what this was, wasn't it? Her fiancé, her Zarek, had told her those book were true (to some extent). This was the castle of Snow White and Prince Charming –King David and Queen Snow- and she was sleeping in one of the many guest suites. A guest of a fairy tale couple. And she was to meet several others on the tour that Eva had dragged her on. Z had told her later that first night during a quiet dinner in the kitchen that their family friends –including a long list of Disney title characters such as Ariel and Eric, Cinderella and her own Prince, Aurora and Philip- were all arriving for the week long autumn celebration, a festival of the harvest they called it here apparently. Something that these kingdoms came together and celebrated every five years. It was the day every little girl wanted, to meet these beautiful and legendary men and women and here she was, the one and only person from the outside world to have this chance.

That was what held her up, made her stop herself from truly believing this was real. How could it be real? How could magic exist? Everything in her rational mind told her these where tales, these were fake and made up stories from hundreds of years ago. It was so much for someone to take in. Zarek had been so patient with her trying to absorb it all, he understood how much it was. After living the simple life with her, she realised how shocking that must have been for him. To come from this life of royalty and castles to basement apartments in New York eating the same leftovers for three days. If he could do it then so could she.

And she had made some progress. Over the two days she had been here she had met some of his extensive family. His mother she had met before and the two had gotten along well but here and now knowing her story made it much more awkward. But Emma shrugged it off, her non-magical background made her easy to relate to for Sarah. She pulled Sarah under her wing, stealing her away from the ever excitable Eva and tried to help her adjust to this whole idea. It had helped.

And his father…Oh. Dear. God. _Now_ shesaw where Zarek got his rather old school charms from. The dashing and debonair Killian Jones…was also Captain Hook. She had to shake the old images of the character from her childhood out as fast as possible after meet him. The 'reformed' pirate captain had been the perfect gentleman, something he had passed onto his eldest son and was something she had always loved about Zarek. Killian too, like most others had tried to be as accommodating as could be although –she had to admit- the hook was rather off-putting.

Henry, Zarek's much older brother was another Sarah had met. Adorable was the first word that came to mind when she had met him. Whether it was interacting with his equally playful wife Grace or their sweet daughters, Henry was always joking and laughing. The older man was quite a goof, a wide smile came easily for him. Although he had attempted to be terrifying when he pulled her aside and asked what she had thought of _the_ books…his books apparently (which made her blush, knowing that Zarek would have told him what she had thought of them, which at the time was not very highly).

The rest of his extensive family though had kept their distance, greeting her but not smothering her, worried about her attempting to grasp this new world. She had quick introductions to his 'grandparents' but had yet to see his other siblings or Henry's apparent 'whole other cluster-fuck' of people (as her fiancé kept referring to) as they had yet to arrive from their _own castle_.

A knock sounded on the solid wood door. She called for them to come in and Zarek slipped into her room. Dress in the apparent garb of this land and with the sword at his side he looked the part. His blue eyes were wide and shone with something she had never seen, a smile on his face that she hadn't seen for quite a while.

"Well you look happy," she noted. He practically skipped forward and grabbed for her. A sound and solid kiss landed on her lips and her effortlessly lifted and spun her around.

"I am happy, my dear," he finally spoke. "And you?"

She smiled and traced the laugh lines on his face which had become more and more prevalent the longer they stayed. "I'm happy. And getting better at wrapping my mind around all this." Sarah swept her arm out to the open landscape surrounding them.

"Good. Because we have several days of celebrations in store but first," he paused and pulled her back into her room. "First I have a few things to show you and a few more people for you to meet."

Sarah bit her lip. What more could he possibly show her? "What are we doing?"

"I'll show you."

:::

As beautiful as the palace and the scenery from it was, it was even more spectacular on the ground. Zarek had dressed her in a simple pair of breeches and a strange riding habbit-esque like top then took her down to the docks. This place was buzzing with activity, everyone preparing for the celebrations. Many people stopped and bowed quickly or offered a hello to Zarek (a Prince, she had to remind herself) before carrying on.

"Where are we going?" she finally asked after he had stopped to talk with several people.

"To see my brother, hopefully. Before we head out."

"Your brother?"

He laughed. "Aye, Liam. I haven't seen hide nor hair of him so I assume he's down here."

Zarek didn't stop but continued to lead her down through the crowded streets and docks until they came across a rather large building. A pounding, throbbing sound was muffled by the thick wooden frame of the building.

"He's here," Zarek laughed and shook his head. He opened the door and music poured out of the building. Sarah followed him in and quickly shut the door behind her. Inside sat a rather large ship in the process of being build and the pounding sounds apparently were a mix of a hammer and a cranked portable stereo playing AC/DC's _Back in Black_. Sitting rather precariously on a beam of said ship was a man working away. He was tall and lean, short cropped brown hair with a rather familiar looking trimmed beard and shirtless –which revealed a large full back tattoo of a ship basking in a full moon.

"Oi, Liam!" Zarek called. The man leaned back and noticed the pair before pulled a control from his pocket and pausing the sound system.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

Sarah made a move to leave but Zarek took her hand in his and led her closer.

"Just wanted to say hello and to introduce Sarah, my fiancé." Zarek turned to her and frowned. "I want to apologise for him but Mother dropped him on his head too many times as a babe."

"Did not," the man bit back. Deftly he jumped down from his perch and landed before them. "And I offer my best wishes and condolences, Madam, for having to marry this ninny."

Sarah laughed but held out her hand to shake only to have him grab it and kiss her knuckles. Another laugh caught in her throat as she noticed his 'hook' tattoo, placed exactly where his father's real one would have been, across the back of his hand and 'connected' with a series of tattooed leather straps.

"A pleasure, Lady Sarah."

"And you too."

"So wanna tell me why you're down here working on a ship while the rest of the family is gathering together," Zarek asked.

He scowled, crossing his arms. "Because I love my ship more than some members in that family at the moment."

"What did you do now?"

"Me?" Liam scoffed and strode back to work. "_I_ did nothing. The old man and I just got into a bit of a row, that's all."

"Again?"

The younger brother refused to answer.

"You are coming to the banquet at least, right?" Zarek asked.

Liam turned around with an exaggerated smirk on his face and bowed deeply. "As your highness wishes. I may be a disappointment to the men in this family but I will not disappoint the women. Mother and grandmother will have my head if I don't show up."

"Well good then. I'll see you in a few days."

Liam bowed his head towards his brother then bowed deeply before Sarah.

"My lady, I shall see you later."

Zarek grabbed her hand and led her from the building. They walked back through the crowd in silence.

"So that's your brother, huh?" she finally said.

He sighed. "Yeah…yeah he is."

:::

"Oh no. Oh hell no." Sarah held her hands up and backed away. "No, no, no, no, _no, NO_!"

"Come on, Sarah. It's easy. Kinda like riding a bike…a bike that won't fall over or crash you into a fence."

She scowled and crossed her arms. "No but it can take off and kill me. Or run me into a tree. Or many other horrible things."

Zarek laughed and handed the beast to the stable boy beside him. He ran his hands over her arms and kissed her forehead gently. She frowned but knew he was going to win this one.

"I swear on my honour that you will be perfectly safe with Boudicca here. She's very calm and very sweet, as bomb proof as you can get. My mother even rides on her and that's saying something."

Sarah looked over his shoulder to the rather large chestnut mare. He was right…she at least was standing still and quite compared to Zarek's own dapple mare who refused to stand and had nearly trampled the stable hand. But she didn't ride. She hadn't even taken a bloody carriage ride in the park yet. Who the hell rides horses anymore?

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

"Boudicca is the best there is, my lady," the boy called from behind Zarek. He led the mare to her again and stood ready for her.

"Fine, fine. How the hell do I get on this thing?"

Z's wide smile returned and quickly helped her on. Sarah was still struggling to sit up correctly and listening to the stable boys instructions on steering as Zarek easily mounted the circling horse. Again and again, Sarah kept noticing things about the man she loves that she had never noticed before. Everything here that was so foreign to her came so, so naturally to him. The natural way he mounted the horse, spoke to the servants with grateful yet authoritative manner, how he knew when and how to respectfully bow to the many royals that came through the gates every day. The politics, the languages, the policies. More and more things came to light everyday they spent together. With each day he stood taller and loosened up, the dark circles from lack of sleep from school faded and with everything she learnt she realised more and more that she loved him.

"You okay?"

Sarah shook her head from her daze and smiled. "Yeah, just thinking."

"Alright well we have a long ride ahead of us so get comfy and follow me."

"Aye, aye Cap-i-tan." She guided the horse to follow behind Zarek's as they headed out the large open gates.

"Oh god don't ever day that around my father."

"Why not?" She teased. Although she could almost picture the pulsing, twitching brow the Captain would probably have.

"He would-as Liam likes to say -'Blow an ass-gasket'."

And with that the pair took off back down through the crowded streets who parted way for them and out into the expansive forests. The trails to where ever the hell they were going were beautiful. Sarah had always lived in a city of some sort. Manicured parks were as nature-y as she had ever got. Forests that went on for thousands and thousands of acres without a skyscraper in sight almost felt wrong. As the ride went on into its third and fourth hour with only a few short breaks to stretch her legs and let the horses eat and drink, she wanted to complain about her sore butt and pulled legs but Sarah couldn't. With each breath of the pure air and the light breeze that brushed her face she felt her body rejuvenate. Here she felt…new.

"Almost there." Zarek said after a stretch of silence between them.

She nodded and moved her horse closer to his as they slowed their pace down. The sun was beginning to set on the open plain and there she spotted their destination. A small cabin rested against the edge of the forest, surrounded by some small pastures long overgrown. They stopped at the cabin and she stood and waited while Zarek untacked the horses and led them into the pasture.

"So why are we sleeping in a cabin in the middle of the woods?"

"Because," he paused to lift the packs and carry them towards the cabin. "We are half way to our goal and need to rest for the night. And," he stopped again to open the door, "this place is kinda special to my family…and to me."

Sarah stepped inside the small hand-built cabin and glanced around at the wooden table and chairs, two beds and other small furnishing. Zarek busied himself and quickly had a small fire going to light the place and broke out a few of the supplies to make supper.

"Sorry it's so dusty. Grandpa usually has someone come around a few times a year to clean it up and maintain it but I guess we came a bit too early."

"Oh?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, bit his lip as he always did when he was nervous. "Yeah."

They ate in silence just as they usually did at home in their apartment but here in this world they took it outside and ate under the open clear sky then laid out. It was perfect and beautiful but as the time grew and the sun set she grew more and more concerned.

"Anything wrong, Zarek?" she finally asked.

"Wrong? Nothing wrong."

"Okay fine, not wrong but something is up."

He turned over on his side to look at her then sat up. "I have some stuff to tell you and I'm not sure how you might take it and that makes me nervous because I love you and don't want to lose you."

"I love you too, Zarek but what else is there to say? I mean…"

"I know, I'm sorry and you're doing so well with everything, you really are. And this isn't anything new…per say but an elaboration."

"Okay? What is there to elaborate on?"

Zarek remained silent, composing himself but before long he spoke. "Alright, okay. Don't take this the wrong way but…"

She smiled as his words bumbled out, over lapping and repeating himself, even lapsing into a slight stutter as his nerves kicked into full force. "Zarek just spit it out, please."

"I'm a Prince."

Sarah sat up and looked over at him. "And? I figured that out when people started referring to you as Prince. And the fact your family are all royals was another hint."

"No, no," he shook his head. "I mean yeah but I have to tell you that I'm not a Prince, I'm _the_ Prince."

"What's the difference?" she asked but her mind quickly overtook her words. She knew what it meant. Being a Prince, at least in the world she was used to, meant they would be royalty, they would have perks and look pretty but to be _the_ Prince…that meant that they had responsibilities and that would eventually become _King_.

"It means-"

"That's you'll be King."

He nodded. "Yeah. It means when I'm done at med school this year I will be returning to the Forest and I will be accepting the position from my grandfather. The coronation has already been put into motion, by grandmother of course."

"But…how? I mean I thought your uncle was supposed to take over?"

"James? No, no, I mean yes but," he paused again and ran raked his hair again. "There are two kingdoms under my grandparent's rule right now. My grandma's is the one we came from, the one which James is going to take over but the one that my grandfather came from…well it needs a leader. It hasn't been doing well without someone to see to the day to day, the economy in the kingdom is nowhere near as far along as…you really don't understand anything of that do you?"

Sarah shook her head. Politics and economics had never been anywhere in her wheel house.

"Sarah I love you. I love you so much and well," he stood up and began pacing in front of her. "I came here because this place is where big decisions are made in my family and this is a big decision for you, you know…to become part of this family. It was here my great grandmother made a choice to save her family by giving up a son, where my grandfather choose to safe his mother by subjecting himself to a life of lies and," he paused and finally met Sarah's gaze. "This was where I finalized my choice to become King. And here is the place I'm asking you to think about a life changing choice. I love you, Sarah but I am going to become King and I need to give you fair warning on what that would entail. If you choose to leave understand that I will respect it. I will always hold you in my heart."

She had no words. The silence between them grew at the night went on. The stars were clear and bright here and they seemed to be the only thing Sarah could concentrate on. He had asked her for forever before in New York and it hadn't caused a second thought then but this forever…this was vastly different. This wasn't just let's have jobs and a house and 2.5 kids. This was let's rule a nation together, deal with politics and being for the people at all times. He was right...she had to look inside and this time she wasn't sure if she could do forever, even for Zarek.

:::

They started off early in the morning even though they had both stayed up well into the night, staring off into the sky in silence. Zarek had the horses prepped and ready with breakfast already on the table by the time Sarah awoke. In silence they ate again and he gently helped her mount the mare. Hours more of galloping passed without seeing another soul and it gave her a few more hours to weigh in on her decision. Hours didn't seem long enough to choose as the pro and con list grew and grew. In the end, she knew she truly didn't want to leave Zarek. He was her first real love and they had grown together in those years at school. It wasn't the future she had dreamed about but the more Sarah allowed her mind to wonder the more she came to conclusion that she could do this, this Enchanted Forest thing.

"Nearly there."

Sarah pulled herself out of her stupor and took in where they were. A small town was carved out of the thick forest and rested up against a wide river. In the distance and at the highest peak sat the castle. The one that would be her home, should she choose this life. Before she had seen them as beautiful and magical but now…now she thought of the obligations and restrictions that came with such a homestead.

They slowed their horses as they approached the town. They rode first through the open fields on their way to town. Farmers all stopped and waved or called out cheerful greetings to their Prince. Young boys helping their fathers ran through the crops and chased behind their horses. Sarah couldn't help but smile at the excited children as they skipped and jumped behind them. They called out for their soon to be ruler, calling Prince Zarek over and over until he smiled his wide smiled again and swiftly dismounted. Sarah stopped her horse and watched as the crowd of children ran up to him. He deftly picked up the smallest girl who ran into his arms and giggled as Zarek lifted her high up.

"Prince Zarek, you're home!"

"Of course, Eliza I told you I would, didn't I?"

"Prince Zarek?" one of the older girls asked. "Who is that?" she pointed at Sarah. She flushed at the multiple stares from the young crowd.

Zarek smiled and looked up at her as she slid out of the saddle. "That little ones is the love of my life," he paused and grabbed for her hand. "If she'll have me."

:::

Zarek sat under a large tree in the open field and watched Sarah as the children crowded around her. They were in awe of the strange clothing she still wore, poking and tugging on her clothes. He loved moments like this. These times of happiness where he could spend moments with the people that he cared and protected. Zarek missed riding around and visiting with the farmers to the merchants and bread-makers while under his grandfather's wing. King David may not have been bred or raised into royalty but he always understood the subtleties to ruling, always knowing what to say and what to do for the people. He knew that his uncle James looked up to David just as much as Zarek did in those times. Both knew and vowed years ago to try and create two strong kingdoms and do everything they could for their people, they wanted to be kind rulers who were connected to the people.

"So what do you think?"

A soft hand grabbed at his. Sarah stood before him with a crown of flowers upon her head and the largest smile he had seen since the 'whole new world' thing was thrust upon her.

"What do you think, Prince Zarek?" little Catherine ran up beside Sarah, grabbing her hand and leaning against her. "We spent all morning picking them once we heard you were arriving but Eliza thought they might be better for the Lady Sarah."

"I think it looks beautiful, Cathy," he paused to rise and ruffle the little girl's golden hair. He kissed Sarah and ignored the mixed response of their growing audience as the children followed behind. "But I know the Lady Sarah is not partial to crowns."

Little Catherine frowned and looked to her companions.

"I told you we should have made a necklace."

Sarah chuckled and leaned down to face Catherine.

"You know what? I think the more and more I'm heard and see your home here, the more the crown is growing on me."

The village children cheered at the Lady's assurance but were unaware of the shock and awe on their Prince's face. Sarah did not. She knew he words were true. She knew what Zarek saw here, what he loved and strove to protect. She finally knew and understood his struggle and she finally realized she could love it too. These children, these people and this village made her see just how wonderful it could be in just the day she had been there. Her understanding of his world was still limited but with enough care and growth Sarah knew she could blossom as well as the rest of the prosperous village.

Sarah knew she could wear the crown of flowers and be proud to stay at his side.

Zarek nearly choked on his words but swept her under his arm.

"Are you sure?"

The light and life in her eyes was enough to answer his question but the gentle smiled and nod confirmed it.

He reached down for a quick kiss much to the children's dismay.

"Well if that's the case then we might need to get you fitted with a longer lasting crown."

"Oh I don't know I think this suits me just perfectly."

* * *

><p>So so sorry for the wait. My life has just been a whirlwind of things coming up. Best of all is being accepted into Teachers college and just finishing my first placement! So much things to get done etc etc but with so much amazing CaptainSwan things around me I had to finish this. Not going to lie, I'm not a fan of Sarah but he is who Zarek wants apparently...I nearly have the companion piece for Kiss it Better nearly done and should post this next week. Thank so so much to all the people who have stuck by and read this collection as well as my other Once pieces. Thank you to anyone who may stumble upon this story now for reading it and as always please read and review. Nothing sparks the creative muse like positive reinforcement!<p> 


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